Hammel's Branch

In 1876 a family of German descent, the John Henry Himmels, settled in this area of Hill County. Seven years later, Miss Emma B. Himmel became the first teacher of the Himmel Branch School. The school was the beginning of a town that, through a misspelling, came to be called Hammel's Branch. Other prominent names of early settlers were the Clinkscales, Elkins, Giles, Hall, Haskins, Jennings, Kuykendall, Lynch, McClure, Snow, Thompson, Watson, Wells, White, and Williams families. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad laid a line through the settlement in 1893-94, and the community began to flourish. Eight business establishments, including a general store, gin, and blacksmith shop, opened along the rail line. In 1903 a post office was established in the depot, and the town legally became known as Hammel's Branch. After World War I, the town began to decline. In 1920, the last store closed. The school held its last classes in 1925. Evidence of the community can still be found upon close examination.

Hammel's Branch is a historical marker in Milford, Hill County, dedicated in 1985. It is one of 104 historical markers documented in Hill County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 199 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.0840, -96.9768 near Milford. The nearest cataloged historic site is Brandon Mill, Old (historical marker), about 2.8 miles away. Others within a short drive include Edens Family, Brandon, and Sevier Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5217002351. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.